Kaplan MCAT Review

The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has rolled out the first major alterations to the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) in over 20 years.

Preparation through Kaplan will give you a clear idea of how these changes are impacting your learning efforts and your chances to get into medical school. Kaplan’s MCAT experts have developed a great way to get all set for the new MCAT and succeed in your objectives.

The MCAT is needed as we live in a society where lots of aspects of healthcare are changing. The changing roles of patients and physicians, of outpatient and inpatient treatment, of insurance & compensation, and of health maintenance and preventative care, have had such a massive impact on all aspects of healthcare that the MCAT had to adjusted to make physicians better prepared for their roles the modern-day and future healthcare system.

In America, we see a growing diversity and the population is rapidly aging, and in medical schools, we’ve seen an increasing focus on cultural sensitivity. A lot of the key causes of mortality and morbidity in our country are caused by environmental and behavioral determinants of the population’s health, such as drug use, smoking, drinking, diets, and inequity in providing healthcare due to socioeconomic circumstances. So it comes as no surprise that many aspects of psychology and sociology were included in the MCAT.

The new MCAT is pretty much longer than the former edition, and that is statistics-driven. Thanks to the larger number of MCAT questions, the AAMC can standardize test scores on a larger scale which ensures more fair testing. And there’s another benefit: studying for an exam that lasts 7 hours and staying focused all through your exam will appear a great help at those long nights on call.

The major changes that were implemented in the MCAT are:

The MCAT Now Has More Test Topics. The new MCAT has 3 additional semesters’ worth of study material at college-level. This relates to introductory psychology, introductory sociology, and biochemistry. Herein lies the reason that the number of prerequisite classes has been raised from eight to eleven. There is also more emphasis on integrating subject areas, and topics like, for example, physics, general chemistry, and biochemistry appear all within one passage.

Length-Duration. The 2015 edition of the MCAT contains 230 questions, and you have 6 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. The former version included 144 questions that you had to deal with in 3 hours 20 minutes.

Different Scoring Scale. All four MCAT sections are scored on a scale 118-132, so the maximum total is 528. The average score per section is 125, so 500 on average overall.

New Question Types And Skills. The MCAT centers on critical reasoning and content knowledge but the new exam includes also ‘Research Design’, which addresses the fundamentals of developing research projects (bias, variable relationships, faulty results). The new field ‘Graphical Analysis and Data Interpretation’ addresses deriving conclusions, and how to draw inferences from visual data such as graphs, figures, or data tables.

More Medical Approach. The MCAT tests a student’s knowledge of all natural sciences that play a role in biological systems, generally invoking pathology or physiology, so students will view those subject areas not just as prerequisites for medical school, but as relevant to medical practice in general.

Verbal Reasoning Has Changed. The MCAT now includes a section called Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills (CARS). This section focuses exclusively on social sciences and humanities rather than on the natural sciences.

How to get started with Kaplan MCAT preparation

First, you can take a free MCAT practice test, download the Kaplan MCAT guide, and you can sign up for their newsletter to receive important MCAT resources in your mailbox. Talk to your pre-med adviser as soon as soon as you can. He is your crucial ally while you prepare your application to medical school. He can help you decide how to get all set for the MCAT. Don’t procrastinate, your adviser has so much valuable information that can help you get ahead fast.

The MCAT comes with additional prerequisites. So plan your heavy course load well and timely. New prerequisites are Biochemistry, Introductory Psychology, and Introductory Sociology. Research the AAMC’s Official Guide to the MCAT Exam. The Preview Guide provides exact information about the exam’s content and what skills are assessed. There are quite a few sample passages and sample questions with answers and explanations.

Get your copy of Kaplan’s MCAT 2015-Edition Guide. This book offers advice on how to best plan your coursework and includes sample passages and sample questions. Here you can also access Kaplan’s MCAT-2015 Practice Test. Sign up for Kaplan’s email updates, to get optimally prepared for the MCAT exam.

RegistrationRegistration for the MCAT must be done online via the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). There are two testing dates in January 2017, and 18 dates from March through September 2017. Make sure to submit your MCAT registration early! This way you will be able to pick out your first-choice date and location. If you want more information on MCAT registration, test scheduling, test locations, etc. please contact the MCAT Program Office: 202-828-0690 (aamc.org/mcat).

Kaplan offers several ways to get all set for the MCAT exam. If you prefer to work on your own, from the comfort of your home, and on your terms, Kaplan offers self-paced online courses that allow you to work from your own place, at your own pace, at the time that suits you best, and from wherever you are.

For all 2017 MCAT test dates, scroll down. Let’s take a closer look at a few options that Kaplan offers:

MCAT Prep – Self-Paced ($1999). If you have a computer and internet access, you can get ready for the MCAT exam anywhere and anytime you like. This self-paced MCAT prep course is a comprehensive, complete class that comes with up-to-date online resources. You will be able to learn via video instruction that covers everything extensively, and this course includes more than 100 hours of instruction.

You can benefit from over 8,000 MCAT practice items that include 13 complete practice tests, the Kaplan’s MCAT library, the MCAT Qbank that has over 1,000 MCAT-style questions and allows you to track your learning progress. You can also benefit from Kaplan’s mobile flashcard app so you can prepare conveniently on the go.

MCAT Prep – Self-Paced PLUS ($2499). Kaplan’s premium option is coming with all the above PLUS more than $1400 worth of extra instruction material (according to Kaplan). You have unlimited access to The MCAT Channel, review MCAT strategies and content, and get answers to all of your questions from Kaplan instructors in real-time (live online help, six days per week), and recordings are available 24/7.

You have three 1-on-1 sessions with a MCAT coach, personalized coaching for proper time management and to develop a study plan that’ll work for you, and great tips about the best MCAT prep and the admissions process at medical school. Additionally, you will receive two self-paced online courses that each include more than 50 hours of lessons in the new MCAT sections of Biochemistry, Introductory Psychology, and Introductory Sociology (Kaplan says that’s a $499 value each).

MCAT Prep – Live Online ($2299). This course allows you to study online with the support from a qualified Kaplan MCAT instructor in an online classroom setting. During all classes, your questions will be answered in real-time, and you also have unlimited access to The MCAT Channel. You can watch Kaplan online classes in action, receive 540 hours of MCAT theoretical and practical instruction, benefit from some 300 hours of resources, such as 13 complete practice tests, and all sorts of AAMC practice materials.

Additionally, there are more than 130 interactive videos, a personal study plan, live and recorded sessions, and all options listed in the above options, like a flashcard app, digital books, and Qbank.

MCAT Prep – Live Online PLUS ($2799). Kaplan’s premium option comes with all MCAT Prep – Live Online options PLUS 3 hours of 1-on-1 coaching from an MCAT professional to make your best MCAT prep plan, and you’ll have two self-paced courses on the MCAT sections of Biochemistry and Behavioral Science.

Additionally, you’ll get essential study tips on the best MCAT prep and the admissions process at medical school, and self-paced courses with more than 50 hours of instruction in the new MCAT testing subject areas of Biochemistry, Introductory Psychology, and Introductory Sociology.

MCAT Prep – In Person ($2299). Here you’ll be educated in a classroom setting by a committed MCAT instructor, and you’ll receive also live instruction from MCAT instructors via The MCAT Channel. The course includes 540 hours of MCAT theoretical and practical instruction, over 300 hours of online resources such as 13 complete practice tests, and all needed AAMC practice materials.

There also are more than 130 interactive videos, and you’ll get a personal study plan in line with your strengths and weaknesses. You can conveniently benefit from live as well as recorded sessions and prepare on-the-go with Kaplan’s flashcard app, digital books, and Qbank.

MCAT Prep – In Person PLUS ($2799). This option has, of course, all the MCAT Prep – In Person features, PLUS three hours of 1-on-1 instruction by an MCAT Coach to come op with a decent study plan, and two self-paced courses that cover the MCAT sections of Biochemistry and Behavioral Science. Additionally, there are three 1-on-1 sessions with a MCAT coach via Kaplan’s online virtual classroom, instruction on how to manage your time optimally.

You will get a personalized study plan, essential guidelines on the best MCAT prep and the admissions process for med school, and two self-paced online courses with more than 50 instructional hours in the MCAT subjects of Introductory Sociology, Introductory Psychology, and Biochemistry.

Private Tutoring (from $3999). Kaplan’s 1-on-1 private MCAT tutoring program is far more (so Kaplan says) than just a teacher and a personal curriculum, this is a. This is a personalizable and customizable program that comes with your personal MCAT master guide.